creamy bowties with chicken and mushrooms

Oh, how I love everything about this meal. Cute bowtie pasta, mushrooms, goat cheese, wine, garlic... it just doesn't get much better than this in my book!

And what makes this recipe even better is how incredibly simple it is, partly because I used Dorot Frozen Herbs for the first time! Have y'all seen/heard about these?! I first saw them on Dixya's blog and was so intrigued. Dorot makes frozen trays of fresh garlic, ginger, basil, cilantro, etc. that you can simply pop into your cooking and use as you would fresh. Not only is this a great time saver for me, but it also eliminated extra clean up (YAY) and tasted great! Bonus: now I can have all the herbs I want around without having to worry about wasting them or taking care of them (RIP every herb garden I've ever tried to maintain).

Creamy Bowties with Chicken and Mushrooms
serves 4-6

you'll need:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
1 onion, peeled and diced
3 Dorot Crushed Garlic Cubes
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 Dorot Chopped Basil Cube
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
4 oz. goat cheese
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
small handful of pecans, toasted and chopped
10 oz. bowtie pasta
roughly chopped Italian parsley, for serving

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until completely done. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic cubes and stir until melted. Add the mushrooms and basil cube and cook until most of the liquid has been removed from the mushrooms. Add chicken stock and wine and simmer for about 10 minutes.

While the mushroom mixture is simmering, cook pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside.

Turn the heat to the low, then stir in the yogurt, goat cheese, and half of the pecans. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and pasta to the sauce and stir to coat, using the pasta water to thin the sauce as necessary.

Serve with parsley and the remaining pecans. YUM.

Disclaimer: I received free Dorot products for review, but all opinions are 100% my own. You can find out where to purchase Dorot products near you here.

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mushroom bourguignon

Here's another cozy meal for chilly fall nights, and this one's a keeper. One of my all-time favorite meals is this delicious beef bourguignon, and it's definitely hard to beat when it comes to comfort food. However, with all that time the meat needs to braise to get tender and yummy, it's not realistic for a weeknight. Which is what makes this so great- it's just as flavorful and wonderful, but so much easier for a weeknight.

Enjoy, my dears!

Mushroom Bourguignon (just barely tweaked from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook)
serves 4-6

you'll need:
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter, softened and divided
2 lbs. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup pearl onions, thawed if frozen
1/2 carrot, grated
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup red wine
2 cups beef broth (or vegetable broth to make this a vegetarian meal)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
pasta of your choice, for serving
sour cream, for serving

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over high heat in a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot. Sear the mushrooms and pearl onions for 3-4 minutes (mushrooms should get some color on them, but not release any liquid yet). Remove from the pan.

Lower heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onions, carrots, and thyme to the pot with some salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.

Add the wine to the pot, scraping the bottom to release any bits. Turn the heat to high and reduce the wine by half. Stir in the tomato paste and broth. Add back mushrooms and pearl onions, along with any juices they've collected. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Combine remaining butter and the flour with a fork; stir it into the stew. Simmer for 10 more minutes, or until sauce thickens to desired consistency.

To serve, spoon the stew over pasta of your choice. Add a dollop of sour cream and garnish with thyme leaves.

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spicy peanut mushroom kale rice bowl

If your weekend looked anything like mine (pizza, Chinese takeout, Tex-Mex... yeesh), this might be the perfect dinner for you tonight!

I've had this recipe pinned forever, and finally decided to try it last week. Holy smokes. This is SO good! We devoured this for dinner, and I ate the leftovers for breakfast and lunch the next day. And then I got really sad that I didn't have it for dinner all over again.

This will definitely be going into the regular rotation in our home, and I hope it will find it way into yours too!

*note: I made the kale salad component of this meal a day ahead of time to allow to flavors to absorb and the kale to soften a bit. Since I followed the recipe for the salad and dressing exactly, I've included the link for you to follow.

Spicy Peanut Mushroom Kale Rice Bowl (slightly adapted from Healthy Happy Life)
serves 4

you'll need:
4 cups cooked brown rice
4 cups Spicy Peanut Ginger Kale Salad
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced (I used cremini - use what you like!)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts
for garnish: toasted sesame seeds (I used black and white for color!), chopped scallions

Prepare the kale salad according to the recipe above. As I mentioned, I did this a day ahead of time, but this isn't necessary.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms, onions, and a bit of salt and pepper. Saute until tender. Once the mushrooms have cooked down and the onion is translucent, add soy sauce. Add about 1 cup of the kale salad to the skillet and toss gently. Remove from heat and let sit.

To serve, top brown rice with a bit of kale salad, then the kale mushroom skillet mixture. Garnish with chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, and scallions. Grab a fork, and enjoy!

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mushroom, potato, and chorizo tacos

It's hereeeee! We're leaving for Paris!!! Can you tell I'm a little bit excited?

This will be my last post for a couple weeks, but I'm thrilled to have some fabulous guest posts from some amazing ladies coming your way while I'm gone. Seriously, y'all, do not miss these!

You know I had to give y'all some Tex-Mex before I go. And given my obsession with all things Tex-Mex, you can trust me when I say these tacos are amazing. The chorizo gives the mushrooms and potatoes such good flavor, and garnished with a little guac and fresh lime juice sends them over the top. Make these as soon as possible!

P.S. Thank you to everyone who emailed me their recommendations for Paris! Y'all are the best!

Mushroom, Potato & Chorizo Tacos (from What's Gaby Cooking)
makes 12 tacos

you'll need:
2 medium red-skin potatoes cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 lb. chorizo, casings removed
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
12 small corn tortillas
scallions, guacamole, and lime wedges, for serving

In a medium pot, add potatoes and water about 1 inch above the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo and onion and cook for 10 minutes, stirring and breaking up sausage. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and stir to combine. Let cook for 5-7 minutes, until the potatoes are getting golden brown.

Warm tortillas between damp paper towels in the microwave, or in a 350 F oven wrapped in aluminum foil. Fill tortillas with mixture and top with scallions and guacamole. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the top and enjoy!

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